Q&A: Tips for Universal Studios Hollywood, LaBrea Tar Pits

Aug. 2, 2012 11:39 AMThe Republic | azcentral.com

Question: My wife and I have extensive experience with Orlando's theme parks (Disney, Epcot, SeaWorld, Busch Gardens). We have never been to any California parks. We are planning to go to Universal Studios Hollywood in late August. Could you possibly send me information on the Universal Studios park, including affordable places to stay? We are in our early 70s and travel with no children.

We also are interested in seeing the LaBrea Tar Pits and maybe any other theme parks that you think we might enjoy. We don't do rides; we just enjoy the experience of the park.

We have been told that we might be disappointed in the California park(s).

We are heading to San Diego after Los Angeles.

Answer: The biggest differences you will notice between the theme-park scene in Southern California and central Florida are the amount of offerings and their proximity to each other. In the Orlando area, you can easily park yourself in one spot for a week or more and be within shuttle or short driving distance of several parks. Heck, you can do that with the roster of Disney parks alone.

That's not the case in Southern California. There are a cluster of parks in the Anaheim area -- Disneyland, Disney's California Adventure and Knott's Berry Farm -- but Universal Studios is about 40 miles away, Six Flags Magic Mountain about 60 miles. SeaWorld is 90 miles away, in San Diego. Add Southern California's notorious traffic, and park-hoppers need to budget a lot of time on the road.

This isn't to say don't go there but to advise you that, as your friends have noted, it's a different experience from central Florida, which is a theme-park mecca.

Let's start with your questions on Universal Studios, where you can get your fill of non-ride fun with its movie-themed attractions. There's a studio tour with Jimmy Fallon as the video host and the NBCUniversal Experience.

The theme park has an online ticket special (universalstudiohollywood.com) offering two days for the price of one ($80). The deal is not available at the ticket office.

Another pass to consider if you plan to hit other parks: the Southern California CityPass, which includes admission to Universal Studios and multiday admission to Disneyland and Disney's California Adventure, as well as SeaWorld San Diego. If you buy it from Universal, you get two days at its park. The cost is $279 per person.

You won't want to miss Universal CityWalk Hollywood, a concept similar to Downtown Disney, with restaurants, shops and activities.

For a selection of hotels in the area, including those that offer a free shuttle to the park and Universal CityWalk, go to universalstudiohollywood.com/hotels. Accommodations are available for different price points.

You don't mention whether you want to check out Disneyland Resort (disneyland.com). It isn't as grand as Disney World but has all things Disney to thrill visitors of all ages. If you're looking for something you can't get in Florida, check out the adjacent California Adventure park, which just completed a major face-lift that's getting good early reviews.

You can cross Six Flags off your list because it's mainly for thrill seekers, but you might like Knott's Berry Farm (knotts.com) near Disneyland. It has plenty of crazy rides but also features shopping and live entertainment.

You can make a half-day or day out of visiting the LaBrea Tar Pits. The site includes the Page Museum, Hancock Park and the Pleistocene Garden. There are public guided tours of many of the attractions. Check out the suggested itineraries at tarpits.org.